The rise of legal cannabis on a state-by-state basis has created a regulatory minefield for both new and established cannabis businesses. This has solidified the need for dynamic tracking software capable of integrating with the different compliance reporting tools currently being used by the regulatory bodies in each legal state.
It is now possible to connect modern day supply chain management software with the different state regulatory programs to be more efficient and maintain compliance across the board. However, picking the right vendor can be a challenge, especially given the complexity of the current cannabis business landscape.
Why Cannabis Compliance Matters?
Compliance is a central concern of all legal cannabis businesses, and the consequences for failing to meet regulations can be severe. Whether you are a start-up cannabis business, a long-time grower making the move to the legal market, or a large-scale, vertically integrated, multi-state operator, you will be held to the rigid regulatory system in each state in which you operate.
Compliance is largely data driven — tracking production, inventory and lab testing to protect consumers and to eliminate products from moving to the black market. As a cannabis cultivator, you are responsible for providing information about your business to your local regulating bodies, and failure to maintain compliance can result in hefty fines, costly recalls and loss of license. That’s why it is critical that your tracking and operations management system also meets your compliance needs.
State-by-State Compliance Adaptability
As each state adopts legal cannabis, they are responsible for creating a regulatory system to oversee their cannabis industry. As part of this process, states are choosing tracking software designed to collect compliance data from individual businesses. For instance, California (and more than a dozen other legal cannabis states) chose Metrc as their tracking system of choice. These systems help state officials monitor activity in their legal cannabis framework and locate the discrepancies that point to larger issues.
The management system you choose for your business must be flexible enough to meet the requirements of state tracking software, regardless of which state or states you operate within. There is no need to alter your business operations to fit your tracking software. High performing tracking software collects the necessary information from your operation and compiles it into the format required by your state, so you can continue to manage your business your own way while properly reporting to your regulating bodies.
More Than Just Compliance
As important as it is, compliance is just one component of operating a legal cannabis business. When looking for a software solution, your business needs to think far beyond basic compliance and reporting to demand more from your tracking software.
It also needs to be a powerful supply-chain management system designed to optimize your output while minimizing costs and loss of productivity. The touch points should include inventory control, process automation, testing and tracking, and workflow management to provide the greatest control over your complex business.
User-Friendly Interface
Most cannabis cultivators aren’t IT professionals, so software needs to be designed with all its end users in mind — including your executive team, managers and action-level employees — and integrate seamlessly with your other core programs, including your state’s compliance tracking system, as well as financial and POS systems. Many major systems, including Metrc, are typically pre-supported by tracking software for easy connection. Others can be added through custom integrations. Selecting business management software that is intuitive ensures that all your employees are able to use it correctly and that all compliance data is accurately collected and compiled for your state’s cannabis regulators.
Seamless Compliance Solutions
You have a myriad of choices in cannabis tracking software for your cultivation business. When searching for tracking software to resolve your cannabis compliance needs, look beyond simple data collection for a system that gives you complete oversight and control of your daily business operations. Comprehensive management systems like Regrow collect live data, generate reports and even give auditors access to your system when necessary, all in an effort to ensure you are meeting your state’s regulatory expectations — without dedicating too many resources — while also reaching your operation’s full potential. At the end of the day, these systems should provide operators with the confidence that they are meeting compliance regulations, automating their workflows and ultimately allowing them to get back to what is most important: growing the best strains possible.
